Artificial intelligence in eight Spanish-speaking countries: a cluster analysis of news media coverage on Instagram (2013–2024)

Abstract

Artificial intelligence presents both potential benefits and significant challenges across various public domains, which explains the growing media attention it has received. Building on framing theory, this study explores the clusters associated with media coverage of AI on Instagram by major news outlets in eight Spanish-speaking countries: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Spain and Venezuela. To this end, we analyzed 9,776 news items published between 2013 and 2024 by 1,200 media outlets on Instagram, a key platform for capturing audience attention in contemporary media ecosystems. Possibly influenced by the characteristics of this platform, the findings reveal a predominantly positive tone in AI-related coverage. This aligns with previous research showing that media portrayals of AI tend to be largely optimistic, often emphasizing its benefits despite emerging critical perspectives. Moreover, despite the shared language, notable differences emerge between Spain and the Latin American countries analyzed. To account for these differences, our model identifies three key factors shaping AI coverage: regulatory frameworks and cultures, socioeconomic, educational and political contexts, and journalistic cultures.